1
as in tournaments
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
a chess match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in marriages
a union representing a special kind of social and legal partnership between two people
from all appearances those two have got a good match there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in halves
either of a pair matched in one or more qualities
I can't find the match to this sock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in equivalents
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
for a wife he wants a woman who will be his match in every aspect of their lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in pictures
something or someone that strongly resembles another
Erin is so nearly my exact match you'd think she must be my twin and not just my cousin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the discussion soon degenerated into a pointless shouting match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complements
to be the exact counterpart of
does this handbag's shade of blue match my navy blue pants? the rare blood type that exactly matched that of the transplant recipient
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in meets
to produce something equal to (as in quality or value)
no one has ever been able to match that novel for its portrayal of the horrors of war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of matches
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Hurzeler left the Brazilian forward out of Brighton’s final two matches of last season following an altercation in training with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Like Miami, the Sounders have had a memorable summer, holding their own in the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético and Botafogo and following that up with just one loss in the past 14 matches (10-1-3).
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025
Subscribe to Fubo now to watch matches across the ESPN family of networks.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
The one who matches Wade’s description right down to his wavy brown hair and pure blue eyes.
—Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
The system matches stable patterns to stored representations without requiring physical interaction.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The distance coincidentally matches the length of Elizabeth’s walk, but there are other similarities, too.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
If no ticket matches all six numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball draw, the jackpot will roll over and grow based on ticket sales.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Pick 10 target accounts whose audience matches yours.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Consider that only FanDuel matches the DraftKings offer in terms of bet-and-get value.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
The three-game losing streak matches the Cubs’ longest of the season (May 6-9 and June 22-24).
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
In 2026, Philadelphia will host FIFA World Cup matches, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, the PGA Championship, and NCAA March Madness games.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Hurzeler left the Brazilian forward out of Brighton’s final two matches of last season following an altercation in training with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Like Miami, the Sounders have had a memorable summer, holding their own in the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético and Botafogo and following that up with just one loss in the past 14 matches (10-1-3).
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025
Subscribe to Fubo now to watch matches across the ESPN family of networks.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
This has led Alonso to give him playing time in all three La Liga matches so far, but a total of 22 minutes (and that coming at a time when Bellingham and Camavinga aren’t available) doesn’t seem to promise much for the season ahead.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
The one who matches Wade’s description right down to his wavy brown hair and pure blue eyes.
—Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
The system matches stable patterns to stored representations without requiring physical interaction.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The distance coincidentally matches the length of Elizabeth’s walk, but there are other similarities, too.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
If no ticket matches all six numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball draw, the jackpot will roll over and grow based on ticket sales.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Pick 10 target accounts whose audience matches yours.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Consider that only FanDuel matches the DraftKings offer in terms of bet-and-get value.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
The three-game losing streak matches the Cubs’ longest of the season (May 6-9 and June 22-24).
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matches
Noun
-
Since reaching the Australian Open final, where Sinner beat him comprehensively, Zverev has won six Grand Slam matches in three tournaments.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Fishing is such serious sport here that one of the biggest tournaments in the country, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, attracts anglers from all over the world every June.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Top bottom halves of biscuits with patties, about 2 tablespoons of the hash browns, and top halves of biscuits, cut sides down.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The Packers played one of their better first halves in a while and led, 17-3, at the break.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Getty Images Holding company Berkshire Hathaway has $340 billion in cash and cash equivalents.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There were reporters and photographers all around, clamoring for interviews and pictures.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Hanson has always been a great fashion photographer, especially good at capturing feminine exuberance, but the span of time that has passed since these pictures were taken now establishes them as bona-fide historical artifacts to boot.—
Jillian Steinhauer,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Premiering in 2011, the edgy comedy follows Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) as her life unravels while serving as maid of honor for her best friend Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph), leading to a string of wedding planning mishaps and bridal party rivalries.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The minimum wage is now worth less than one US dollar, although the government – which sits on the world’s largest oil reserves – complements it with extra handouts and subsidies.—
Andrew Raine,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The power of business intelligence at individual and team levels complements business-centric intelligence gathering greatly—an essential for the future.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
North Carolina classifies bigamy as a Class I felony, and the charge can result in imprisonment for anyone who knowingly marries while still legally married to another person.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Sleek architecture marries centuries-old fortresses—while locals swap skis for kayaks, depending on the season.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bathsheba successfully forces one woman to kill her child but meets her match in the one-two punch of Lili Taylor and Farmiga.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Projections show a 'dire' future for the river Worst-case hydrology could also reduce the river's flows to a point where the water received by Lower Basin states and Mexico no longer meets the amount required by a century-old compact governing water use on the river.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matches. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share